Apparatus for expressing the fluids out of paraffin compositions and separating the scale therefrom.



J. HANSEN.

APPARATUS FOR EXPRESSING THE FLUIDS OUT OF PARAFFIN COMPOSITIONS AND'SEPARATING THE SCALE THEREFROM.

APPLICATION FILED NOV.25, 1911. 7

1,054,839, Patented Mar. 4, 1913.

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APPLICATION FILED NOV. 25,1911.

Patented Mar. 4, 1913.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

UNITED "STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JULIUS HANSEN, OF TEXAS CITY, TEXAS.

APPARATUS FOR EXPRESSING THE FLUIDS OUT OF PARAFFIN COMPOSITIONS ANDSEPARATING THE SCALE THEBEFROM.

1,054,839. Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Mar, 4, 1913Application filed November 25, 1911. Serial No. 682,312.

s. To all whom it may concern: in question relatively expensive becauseof Be it known that I, JULIUS HANSEN, a citizen of the United States,residing at Texas City, in the county of Galveston and State of Texas,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus forExpressing the Fluids Out of Paraffin Compositions and Separating theScale Therefrom, of which the following is a specification,reference-being had to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to apparatus for compressing and straining thescales or crystals ofparafiin, or of wax of a parafiin nature.

The object of this invention is to provide a machine of the classreferred-to that will enable the operations of completely straining andremoving the oil from paraflin distillate to be done in one machine.

Another object of this invention is to provide a machine for'the purposein ques tion, that will perform in itself the functions of the filterpress and scale press.

A further object of this invention is to provide a machine which may beused continuously for the purpose in question.

Other objects of this invention are to provide a machine of the classdescribed which may be readily manufactured and installed at acomparatively low cost, which may be readily inspected and repaired,which will take up a relatively small amount of space, which will have arelatively high efficiency and which will be arranged so that thematerial within the machine may be tested without interfering in anyWay'with the operation of the same.

Further objects of this invention will become apparent as it is morefully set forth.

Theapparatus embodying this invention consists in general of two partsarranged to respectively perform the functions of a filter press and ascale press. A filter press for paraffin consists of an apparatus forremoving the loose oil in which the scales or crystals of wax float, anda scale press is used for the purpose of removing the entrained oil andwater that is in the compressed scales or crystals after the same haseen ejected from thefilter press.

The processes performed by the filter press and scale press areordinarily done in separate machines, which are independent of onemother and which make the processes the necessary amount of laborrequired to properly take care of the separate machines. This inventionavoids the inconvenience and cost of having so ,arate machines andapparatus for the li tering and scaling processes referred to, as itenables the entire work to be done in one machine which may be operatedby a single source of power and so connected up and devised that it maybe run continuously, and in addition permit samples of the materialacted upon to be taken out and tested without interfering in any waywith the proper operation.

The present application involves only the novel structural features ofthe apparatus by means of which the process above outlined is carriedout, the process itself being more specifically described and claimed inmy companion application, Serial Number 679,652, filed February 24,1912.

An embodiment of this invention is shown in the appended drawings, inwhich,

Figure 1 represents a view in elevation of an apparatus embodying thisinvention. Fig. 2 is a plan view of Fig; 1. Fig. 3 is a sectional viewtaken along the line 33 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a sectional view takenalong the line 4-401 Fig. 3.

Similar reference characters refer to similar parts throughout thedrawings.

In the construction shown in the drawings, l and 1 designatethe casingsof the parts of'the device which perform functions of a filter press andscale press respectively. Each casing is preferably constructed as shownin the drawings, and both are very similar to one another. The casing 1is however preferably provided with straining sheets 2 and 3 which aresomewhat coarser thanfl and 3' in the casing 1 of the scale press part.The straining sheets 2 and 2' are preferably made of some suitablestraining cloth, and are attached to metallic screens 3 and 3 which arepreferably of cylindrical shape and surround the first mentionedstraining sheets. A plurality of rings 4 and 4 secure saidstrainingsheets to the shown in the drawings. Suitable pipes 5 and 5' surroundthe screens 3 and 3 and securely hold the latter in position by means ofrings 6 and 6 which are held in place by means of bolts 7 and 7'. Thecasings 1 and l surround and c ntain the pipes screens as is clearly 5and 5', and are provided with annular chambers 8 and 8' which permit thefluids strained from the material that passes through the parts inquestion, to flow therein, and by means of suitable connections to beremoved therefrom. The casings are also provided with annular chambers 9and 9 for the purpose which will be explained in a later part of thespecification.

The casing 1 is provided with an end piece 10 that is provided with aninlet opening 11 therein, which is suitably connected so as to receivethe distillate to be processed. In some convenient part of the end piece10, a valve 12 is provided for testing purposes. At the other end of thecasing 1 is another end member 13 that is provided with an outletopening 14 therein, and atesting valve 15 for the purpose of samplingthe material at that portion of the casing. The members 10 and 13 arepreferably threaded on to the ends of the pipe 5 as is clearly shown inthe drawings. The end members are also provided with holes and stuflingboxes 16 and 17 respectively for the purpose of permitting the wormshaft 18 to project therethrough, so that the latter can be suitablycoupled to a source of power, and journals 19' and 19 are provided forthe purpose of supporting the same, and thrust bearings 20 are arrangedfor the purpose of keeping said worm shaft properly in position.

The casing 1 is provided with parts very similar to those used inconnection with the casing 1, and are designated by similar characterswith a prime added thereto, in order to facilitate the recognition oftheir connection with the apparatus. The shafts 18 and 18 are preferablyconnected to one another by means of a suitable coupling 21, or ifdesirable or necessary, this coupling can be replaced by suitablegearings. The outlet valve of easing 1 and the inlet valve of casing 1are connected by means of suitable pipe connections 22, and suitablevalves 23 and 24 are provided thereon, so as to control the flow ofmaterial therethrough and also to permit the repair or inspection of thevarious parts of the apparatus. Other valves 25 and 26 are provi ed uponthe inlet connections of casing 1 and the outlet connections 27respectively for similar purposes. The casings 1 and 1' are providedwith suitable connections 28 and 29 for the purpose of attaching thesame to apparatus which are used for causin the flow of suitable fluidsthrough the 0 ambers 9 and 9 inthe casings 1 and 1- respectively.

The apparatus used in connection with casing 1 is preferably of afreezing or cooling nature and arranged so as to pass a cooling fluidthrou of the same, in or er to bring the distillate in said casing to asuitable temperature.

h the annular recesses 9 The apparatus connected with casing 1' is forthe purpose of heating the same so that the wax, scales or crystals maybe suitably raised in temperature and thereby enable the oil and otherfluids therein to be more easily removed. The holes for permitting thefluids to escape through the pipes 5 and 5 are designated by thereference characters 30 and 30, and those in the straining screens by 31and 31. The last mentioned holes are preferably out of registry with oneanother so as to prevent the wax to be separated from the oil from beingpushed through the pipes into the chambers 8 and 8 thereof. The

screens 3 and 3 are secured in such a manner to said pipes as to permitthe oil and other fluids to flow between them to the holes 30 and 30 andthence to the chambers 8 and 8, so that they can be readily removedtherefrom and in a state Practically free from wax, scale or crystals.

The general operation of the device is as follows:-The distillate ispumped into the casing 1, the outlet valve being closed, and the coolingfluid is run through the casing so that the distillate condenses intooil and scales. Pressure is then exerted so that the material in thecasing will tend to flow through the perforations in the screen andthrough the holes'in the pipe 5. The oil will flow through the pipe andinto the chamber 8, and thence to a suitable reservoir arranged toreceive it. The scales, crystals or wax will be caught by the innerfilter cloths 2 and accumulate in the casing until the latter ispractically filled, the oil that leaves the same being passed to thereservoir just mentioned. When a certain amount of wax has accumulatedin the casing, the valve on the outlet is opened and the wax ispermitted 'to fiow to the second press 1', until it fills the same,at'the same time more distillate is pumped into the first mentionedcasing and sufficient pressure is placed thereon to cause its oil tofilter from the same in the manner already described. The worm shaft isthen rotated so as to push the wax through theapparatus. The wax in thesecond casing is then subjected to a high temperature by means of hotwater or steam being passed through the annular recesses in thecasing 1. This rising temperature causes the wax to expand and to morefreely give up its fluid on the compression. The oils and other fluidsin the wax ass through the straining sheet, screen, an pipe as in thefirst casing, and thence is pumped into another reservoir provided forthe purpose of receiving the same. The last mentioned process leaves thewax in a very dry condition and permits the same to be removed from thesecond casing for commercial purposes. The rotation of the worm shaftscontinuously pushes the wax through the apparatus and the pressureexerted on the masure may be exerted in any suitable and it ispreferablethat in the first terials, by any suitable means enables the same tostrain itself in a manner already described. After the apparatus is onceset first casing, the process can be kept up con tinuously, providedthat, the casing 1 is cooled to a proper temperature, tate the crystalstherein sufliciently to permit the fluids in the'same to strain out, asthe pressure that forces the material through the apparatus is exerted.The various testing valves on the front and rear portions of each of thecasings enable the material within to be sampled at any time withoutinterfering in any way with the operation of the machine.

While the shafts in both of the casings are preferably runat the samespeed, it is of course understood that they can be mechanically made torun at various speeds so as to suit any conditions that may arise. Thepressure exerted on the material within the casings may also be variedindependently. of one another so as to produce the best results from theapparatus. This pres- I casing it should be from two hundred (200) tothree hundred (300) pounds per square inch, and in the second casing, 1,from'five hundred (500) to six hundred (600) pounds per square inch,provided the ordinary materials are used. However, pressures andtemperatures-to suit any special conditions can be readily provided forwithout departing from the scope of this invention, and various otherdetails of constructions may i 40 be made in the apparatus to suit anyparticular conditions met with without depart:- ing from the principlesthereof.

While it is not new to use processes for filtering and scalingindependent of one another, it is new to use such processes inconjunction with one another and arranged so as to act continuously, andfurther to pro-- vide means for permitting the sampling or testing ofmaterial within theapparatus without stopping the machine or interferingin someradical way with its operation. A particular advantage is thatthe various parts are simple in their construction and are easilyaccessible for inspection and re-v pair and are so arranged that oneoperator can normally take care of the apparatus. Another feature isthat the amount of power required to operate this apparatus iscomparatively low, mainly due to the fact that the wax or crystals arenot themselves forced through straining sheets, or otherwise made toovercome a very highfric-' tional resistance. The independence of theparts of this machine is another feature of value, as it enables unitsof various slzes of to precipithe parts of the machine to be installedwith one another; for instance, a large filtering casing could be usedwith a relatively small scaling casing, provided with the gearing thatoperates the worm shaft is arrar. ed so as to make up in speed what islacking in volume, and many other conditions can be provided forwithoutradically changing the apparatus in any way. of importance, whichthe continuous arrangement of the two processes has, is that it keeps thWax entirely free from atmospheric interference while the process isgoing on, and thereby prevents the wax and scales from absorbingmoisture from the same, while the process is going on. This featurereduces the amount ofpower required to drive th materials in questionand thereby increases the efliciency of the apparatus/ Having thusdescribed this invention, what is claimed is 1. An apparatus forseparating the wax and fluids from paraflin distillate comprising incombination a casing having an annular chamber therein and provided witha second inner annular chamber, a pipe disposed within said casing andprovided with a plurality of holes therein opening into said chamber, ascreen having a plurality of perforations therein-disposed looselywithin said pipes, straining cloths disposed on said screen and meansfor securing said parts together, a worm shaft disposed insaid casingfor forcing the solid matter into the same therethrough, another similarcasing having parts similar to those in the last mentioned casing, andmeans for connecting said casings together in series, said means beingarranged to permit samples of the material passing therethrough to betaken therefrom. i

2. An apparatus for separating the wax and fluids from parafiindistillate comprising in combination a casin having an an- Anotherfeature nular chamber therein an ,provided with" a second inner annularchamber, a pipe disposed within said casin andprovided with a pluralityof holes t erein opening into said chamber, a screen having a pluralityof perforations therein disposed loosely within said pipes, theperforations in said screen being arranged out of registry with theholes in saidpipe, a straining cloth disposed on said screen and meansfor securing said parts together, a worm shaft disposed in said casingfor forcing'the solid material in the same therethrough, a plurality ofend pieces disposed on said pipes, said pieces being provided withst-ufling boxes therein to permit said shaft'to extend therethrough, andmeans for keepingsaid end pieces together.

3. An apparatus for separating the wax and fluids from parafiindistillate comprising'in combination, a casing having inner and outerannular chambers, a pipe concentrically arranged Within said casing andspaced from the Wall of the chamber, said pipe being provided withapertures, a perforated screen arranged upon the inner wall ofsaid pipeand having its perforations disposed out of register with the aperturesof the pipe, a plurality of spaced annular members secured to saidscreen to retard the movement of the distillate through the pipe, and aWorm shaft disposed centrally Within said pipe to force the distillatelongitudinally therethrough.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix iny 15 signature in the presenceof two Witnesses. JULIUS HANSEN. Witnesses:

BERNARD R. YOUNG, WILLIAM J. GRAHAM.

